Jack Erwin's New Double Monk Hits Well Above Its $195 Price Tag

Spending a little more can sometimes save you money in the long run, and dress shoes are a perfect example of that maxim ringing true. Conventional wisdom says construction differences between an inexpensive shoe and a more expensive pair (say $350, we're not talking about $1,300 territory here) are often significant enough to warrant going big, since they'll last for years. But while that $350 figure has been a go-to standard for years, Jack Erwin and their six shoes have been changing the whole game, providing all the benefits of $350+ shoes for $195 and up. Today, they're launching a seventh model — the Stan Double Monk.

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The Stan's upper is made of full-grain calfskin — one of the more important characteristics of a quality shoe — in tan or black, and secured with the double monk clasp. Besides the leather quality, Jack Erwin uses Blake stitched construction, which allows for resoling after resoling, which is far more difficult when stitches are replaced by glue.

If we're being frank, all of this does sound a little too good to be true. But if Warby Parker could do it for glasses, why not a shoe company? Good shoes don't have to require a mortgage to get, and Jack Erwin does a supremely good job of optimizing quality, including all the important features and disregarding everything else.